An occupant protection device is known from the international patent application WO 2004/091982 A1 (which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety). This previously known occupant protection device has a gas generator and an airbag which is connected to the gas generator and is inflated by the gas generator in the event of an accident. The gas generator is equipped with a tubular combustion chamber with propellant material which is ignited by a releasable igniting charge which belongs to an “igniter” placed on one tube end of the combustion chamber in a gastight manner. Both the gas formed during combustion of the igniting charge and the gas formed during combustion of the propellant material are used for filling the airbag. In the combustion chamber there is a cylindrical gas-conducting device which first of all conducts the gas generated by the igniting charge to the propellant material; the gas is therefore prevented from immediately leaving the combustion chamber. The gas of the igniting charge therefore first of all ignites the propellant material before it can pass together with the gas of the propellant material to the combustion chamber outlet. The combustion chamber outlet is formed by a throttle element arranged at the other tube end of the tubular combustion chamber.